10 Dresses Bob Mackie Will Always Be Remembered For
“A woman who wears my clothes is not afraid to be noticed,” legendary costume designer Bob Mackie once said. The fashion-industry icon, who has passed away at 87, built his legacy on empowering the stars he dressed to lean into excess, showmanship, and playful provocation through clothing.
A frequent collaborator with generational figures like Cher, Diana Ross, and Madonna, Mackie earned his “Sultan of Sequins” moniker by bringing extravagant beading and fabulously daring silhouettes to some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. Along with dressing illustrious musical performers, he also had a taste for sartorial comedy, which he flexed in his over 17,000 designs for The Carol Burnett Show from 1967 to 1978. Below, W honors his rhinestone-embellished legacy by revisiting 10 iconic Bob Mackie designs.
Cher, 1986
After being snubbed for her performance in the coming-of-age film Mask, Cher wore a bedazzled, ab-bearing confection to the 1986 Academy Awards in lieu of a traditional evening gown. It was, in her words, a “f*ck you” to the Academy.
Marilyn Monroe, 1962
As a 21-year-old assistant working under designer Jean Louis, Mackie made the original concept sketch for Monroe’s iconic naked gown, which she wore to sing “Happy Birthday” to JFK. He was famously not a fan of Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala rewear.
Zendaya, 2024
At Cher’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Zendaya paid homage to the Mackie muse in a cutout-filled naked gown from 2001 that closely resembled a gilded number she wore in 1972.
Tina Turner, 1979
One of Turner’s most emblematic looks, Bob Mackie’s “flame dress” was a statement of independence for the singer when she wore it at her first performance after her divorce from Ike Turner. Featuring yellow-and-orange embroidery and a feathered shawl intended to look like wings, iterations of the design have passed through the hands of some of the most iconic performers over the decades, including Cher, Ann-Margret, RuPaul, and Beyoncé in 2005.
Madonna, 1991
At the Academy Awards, Madonna referenced Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in an all-white Mackie look, comprising a beaded sweetheart silhouette and a fur shawl. In 2024, Sabrina Carpenter wore the same gown on the MTV Video Music Awards red carpet.
RuPaul, 1995
RuPaul donned the striking silver “wing gown” at the VH1 Fashion and Music Awards in 1995—paying homage to a similar design worn by Tina Turner years earlier. Decades later, the longtime Mackie collaborator rewore the design in the 2020 Netflix series AJ and the Queen.
Carol Burnett, 1976
In a scene from The Carol Burnett Show that spoofed Gone With The Wind, Burnett descended a staircase in an outfit fashioned from a window curtain—rod and all. It was one of the instances in which Mackie showed off his affinity for comedy through clothing. He later donated the dress to the Smithsonian.
Cher, 1974
Mackie once said that “people were horrified” by the feather-trimmed naked dress Cher wore to the 1974 Met Gala, arm-in-arm by the designer. Today, it remains one of her most frequently referenced looks.
Diana Ross, 1986
After years of designing for Ross’s performances—including the costumes for her television special G.I.T. on Broadway—Mackie made Ross’s bridal gown for her wedding to Arne Naess. Though the satin bodice was simpler than his usual confections, it had markers of Mackie maximalism, from the lace-embellished sleeves to the baroque cape.
Miley Cyrus, 2024
At the Grammy Awards, the superstar—and longtime Mackie fan—leaned into theatrical glamour in a plunging, silver fringe bodysuit from the designer’s fall 2002 “To Broadway With Love” collection. It moved and glistened with her as she sang, proving once again that Mackie’s designs are a timeless statement for stage performers.
